12 February 2014

Straight after finishing his recent run as Don Ottavio at the Vienna State Opera, Rolando Villazón dashed off to Prague to shoot a TV documentary about the premiere of Don Giovanni. The BBC are expected to air it in April or May.

Of his recent Vienna performance, the Kurier said "Villazón's a fighter who compensates for any vocal shortcomings with such charisma and commitment that he can shape even a pallid character like Don Ottavio. And the audience loves Villazón for it."

18 December 2012

When Rodolfo sounds more consumptive than Mimì, you’ve got a
problem. Post-surgery, Rolando Villazón has had his ups and downs, but he was
singing much better in Salzburg this summer than he could manage last night in the 999th revival of John Copley's La bohème.
The notes were (mostly) there; the volume wasn’t. Despite Mark Elder’s
considerate restraint, the orchestra often washed over him, and he bottled a
few key phrases, not to mention their money notes. I can only hope for Rolando’s
sake it was just an off night, perhaps a touch of the respiratory lurgy that
seemed to afflict half the audience.